The 5 Best Things About the (Un)balanced Summer Vacation

For the Thank-God-It’s-Monday crowd, vacation is a four letter word. Growing up as a child of a single mom, vacations were the stuff of dreams — which was actually good prep for summer-less college and grad school opportunities to intern or work. But once I could actually “go away,” I did so with a vengeance and sated my pent-up demand.

Now I feel I have a more balanced approach to summer vacations (personal disclosure: my family has publicly made it known that they do not agree with this last statement). But the rub for many of us is that being away, while perfectly legitimate, may not be all that easy.

And some of us, er, you, may actually have trouble doing “nothing.” For some folks it can be boring and feel like wasting preciously finite time, and for others with a strong achievement ethic, “resting” on a vacation may seem less like rejuvenation and more like being lazy. Ironically then, it is neither fun nor helpful to be away.

Sometimes your work partners or peers feel you have bad timing. Some folks fret their job may not be there when they get back. Logistics and slavish commitment to children’s school schedules can add to the challenge of just coordinating time off. A working partner's/spouse’s schedule and responsibilities can further complicate matters.

Once all calendars have been cleared and you finally set sail, you may nevertheless be drawn to checking emails or continue getting calls. This can really tee-off whomever you are traveling with.

But once you ARE away, what then?

The following tips or really, findings, are very idiosyncratic to what’s going on with my work, mood, family, energy level, and likely phase of the moon. So, please consider them as possibilities that may or may not fit for you, and perhaps at some times more than others…

1. You Can’t Push String

I have (thankfully) found that often I am struck with what evolves into solutions to problems that I've been stymied on at work, when I am actually away from my work. Thank you subconscious! Folks like Yitang Zhang did his best (and monumental) prime number work when NOT working on it. Brute force be damned! It’s actually not a fluke; turns out there are a boatload of examples like this. Pass the cocoa butter and my calculator!

2. I Want to Be Alone

I used to climb really tall things in my youth. And when I was on a climb, I was really, really focused on what I was doing. Generally, too, I was pretty much out of touch with the rest of the world. I found this to be at once like a cognitive spring cleaning of the cobwebs and the flotsam and jetsam that would accumulate in my noggin. I learned that Edison would go out to the end of a pier with a fishing rod that had no line on it in order to get away and think. The story goes that he would do this in order to give the appearance of fishing and thus no one would want to disturb the fish—or him—by going out on the dock. Clever boy.

Vacations generally allow for a give and take of solo time and together time — all being a good thing.

3. Retreat, Retreat!

With the nature of my work, it is a wonderful benefit for me to take a box of materials and a flash drive of content on vacation and write. I actually look forward to it. It also is beneficial BEFORE the vacation as I don’t stress about NOT getting a project started (or finished) while doing my daily routine. I actually feel much, much less pressured. As a result, “working” on whatever honestly feels kind of like a treat. And on vacation even my interruptions are much more pleasant (e.g., an invitation to join my children in the pool or to have my cocktail freshened up).

Note, I have let my loved ones know this in advance, and it has made a world of difference in their being more understanding/accepting. Really. It’s not cool to surprise those you care about with such things. Note that they likely are bringing things to read and do while on vacay too, so just set the proper frame for understanding so they get you. But be wary of the Cats-in-the-Cradle risk, dude...

4. Spend Time with Dumbbells

Or go for a run or swim or something. A change of venue for anything physical that you enjoy is always fun and regenerative. Getting all of the proverbial juices flowing does a body, mind and soul good.

5. Happy Mid-Year!

I’m somewhat hell-bent on goals and resolutions and the like, so I take a little time while away to look back on how the year’s progressing so far and what lies ahead. Do I need to make any mid-course corrections? I find it fun to chat with my family about what we've done so far, how school ended, what the fall semester looks like for them. It’s a great time to dream out loud with those you are closest with and learn what’s on everyone’s mind.

Final Tips…

Also, of course, consider experimenting with volunteer vacations. These can REALLY get you out of yourself. Ironically, I feel like I am the one that’s gained after such experiences more so than those I worked with.

And experiment. See what works for you and what doesn’t. Calibrate if you are going on vacation alone, with a loved one, or with family or friends and adjust accordingly.

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If you’d like to learn more or connect, please take a look-see at https://about.me/DrChrisStout If you’d like to more about my Curated Library, shoot me an email. You can follow me on LinkedIn, or find my Tweets.

If you liked this article, you may also like:

• DIY Humanitarianism
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• The New Humanitarians
• Philanthropy for the Rest of Us

Photo: Ozan Hatipoglu/Flickr

For 50+ more summer favorites from Influencers, check out the full Influencer Summer Guide here.